7th Visit to West Park, an old favourite that you can never tire of I guess. One ward that I’ve always wanted to do was the ward that was converted into a child crèche for the nurses who worked at the hospital. Some people have refereed to it as the child/baby ward but this is nonsense. The painted murals and colours provided a really strange ambience and feel to the ward. It is also evident upon this visit that demolition/conversion for the majority of the site is starting with remedial work under way.
West Park was the last mental hospital to be developed on the Horton Estate, having been planned since 1906, prior to the opening of neighbouring Long Grove asylum. Initial development to have been completed for opening in 1916. From 1917 the main hospital was largely complete and utilised by Canadian Military, and subsequently handed back to London county council. The complete hospital was anticipated to hold approximately 2,000 patients of mixed class. The hospital started a phase closure in 2003 and by 2005 was almost completely disused except for some male wards and other little area on the site.
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